Stephen Dubner

That is Amy Edmondson, another failure expert. She's at the Harvard Business School, and her research focus is on failure in organizations, which is not uncommon.

Okay, so let's get systematic. Failure is something that has long intrigued me. And so I hope you don't mind. We are making a series on the topic. We'll call it How to Succeed at Failing. I suspect that you are also intrigued by failure. A while back, when we asked listeners to send us their failure stories, we got many replies. There were stories about failure in the business world.

Okay, so let's get systematic. Failure is something that has long intrigued me. And so I hope you don't mind. We are making a series on the topic. We'll call it How to Succeed at Failing. I suspect that you are also intrigued by failure. A while back, when we asked listeners to send us their failure stories, we got many replies. There were stories about failure in the business world.

Okay, so let's get systematic. Failure is something that has long intrigued me. And so I hope you don't mind. We are making a series on the topic. We'll call it How to Succeed at Failing. I suspect that you are also intrigued by failure. A while back, when we asked listeners to send us their failure stories, we got many replies. There were stories about failure in the business world.

What happened to Enron? What happened to WeWork? We heard about failures of government policy. Detroit's failures are interesting because it's also a failure of planning. Failed relationships, of course.

What happened to Enron? What happened to WeWork? We heard about failures of government policy. Detroit's failures are interesting because it's also a failure of planning. Failed relationships, of course.

What happened to Enron? What happened to WeWork? We heard about failures of government policy. Detroit's failures are interesting because it's also a failure of planning. Failed relationships, of course.

There are failures of imagination. You've prepared for problems A, B, C, D, E, and F, and something like M comes out of the blue and smacks you.

There are failures of imagination. You've prepared for problems A, B, C, D, E, and F, and something like M comes out of the blue and smacks you.

There are failures of imagination. You've prepared for problems A, B, C, D, E, and F, and something like M comes out of the blue and smacks you.

You will hear those stories and you'll also hear about better ways to think about failure and learn from it. I once had a wise teacher and he had a wise teacher and she had a wise teacher and that teacher had a mantra. It went like this. Be bad. Don't be boring. I should say these were acting teachers, but I think the lesson applies anywhere.

You will hear those stories and you'll also hear about better ways to think about failure and learn from it. I once had a wise teacher and he had a wise teacher and she had a wise teacher and that teacher had a mantra. It went like this. Be bad. Don't be boring. I should say these were acting teachers, but I think the lesson applies anywhere.

You will hear those stories and you'll also hear about better ways to think about failure and learn from it. I once had a wise teacher and he had a wise teacher and she had a wise teacher and that teacher had a mantra. It went like this. Be bad. Don't be boring. I should say these were acting teachers, but I think the lesson applies anywhere.

The idea is that when you're trying to create something or accomplish something, it's tempting to stick to the boring, the tried and true, the riskless path. That's how much we fear failing. But the point of the mantra is that it's better to take a chance, to risk being bad, because that's the only way you'll actually make something good.

The idea is that when you're trying to create something or accomplish something, it's tempting to stick to the boring, the tried and true, the riskless path. That's how much we fear failing. But the point of the mantra is that it's better to take a chance, to risk being bad, because that's the only way you'll actually make something good.

The idea is that when you're trying to create something or accomplish something, it's tempting to stick to the boring, the tried and true, the riskless path. That's how much we fear failing. But the point of the mantra is that it's better to take a chance, to risk being bad, because that's the only way you'll actually make something good.

Our special series, How to Succeed at Failing, gets started right now.

Our special series, How to Succeed at Failing, gets started right now.

Our special series, How to Succeed at Failing, gets started right now.

This is Freakonomics Radio, the podcast that explores the hidden side of everything with your host, Stephen Dubner.